Shopify development
From intake to launch in one fixed process, with speed and findability built in.
Shopify development at Zalm Partners runs in four steps: intake, design, build and launch, with speed and findability delivered as part of the store rather than sold as extras. We work from Rotterdam for online stores across the Netherlands and Belgium, and we stay available after launch for the work that makes a store grow.
For most stores, Shopify is the sensible starting point: checkout, hosting and security are handled, so the budget can go into what sets you apart instead of into plumbing. Where that difference lies is what we establish together during intake.
From intake to launch: how we work
During intake we map your product range, customers and goals, and decide what the store must do at launch and what can wait. Then we design the key templates: homepage, collection page, product page and checkout flow. Only when those are approved do we build.
- Intake: product range, audience, integrations and priorities
- Design: templates built on your brand, tested on mobile first
- Build: theme, collection structure, apps only where needed
- Content: products, copy and imagery loaded, together or by us
- Launch: test round, payment methods live, analytics in place
A lesson from experience: design is rarely what delays a project. Waiting for product copy and photography is. So during intake we agree who delivers which content by when, and we step in ourselves when that turns out to be needed.
What comes as standard
Some things should never be extras. A store that loads slowly or cannot be found is simply not finished. Every delivery therefore includes: a fast mobile experience, the payment methods your customers expect, a logical collection structure, structured data on products, proper titles and meta descriptions, and analytics configured so you see what happens from day one.
Also standard: ownership sits with you. The Shopify account is in your name, the domain is yours, and every theme change is documented. If you ever want to leave us, you can do so without friction. We consider that a healthy incentive for ourselves.
Wondering what this means for your site?
Ask usFindable from day one
Most stores launch first and think about visibility afterwards. We reverse that: the search queries of your customers help shape the collection structure and the copy the store launches with. Nothing needs rebuilding later just to be able to rank.
That work reaches beyond Google. AI search engines such as ChatGPT and Perplexity increasingly recommend products, and stores they cannot read do not exist there. For Uitgeverij Wilde Haren this approach produced 27% visibility in Google AI Overviews and twice the traffic from Google. If you want the full story, read on about ecommerce SEO.
What determines the price of a Shopify store?
Four factors weigh heaviest: the size of your product range (a hundred products need different work than ten thousand), integrations with point of sale, inventory or accounting, the amount of custom design, and whether an existing store has to move over, customers and orders included. Separately, Shopify charges a monthly fee per plan, paid directly to Shopify.
We only quote concrete numbers once we know your situation, because any figure before that would be a guess. After the first conversation you receive a proposal with a fixed price, a timeline and a defined scope. No hourly billing, no surprises at delivery.
After launch, the real work starts
A web shop is not a project with an end date but a store that can improve every week. After launch we can keep working on findability, conversion and new functionality, at a pace that fits your revenue. You can read more about how we build on our web development page.
Nothing locks you in. Some clients take the build only and run independently afterwards; others have us steer growth month by month. Both are fine, as long as the choice is yours. Moving over from another platform is its own discipline; see migrating to Shopify.
Frequently asked questions
Count on six to ten weeks from intake to launch for an average store. The biggest variable is content: if your product copy and imagery are ready, things move faster. Complex integrations or a migration from an old store extend the timeline; you see that reflected in the proposal up front.
At minimum: your product data, imagery and the customer knowledge only you have. We can write the copy based on an interview. The more complete your input, the tighter the schedule; we agree on this concretely during intake.
Yes, that is one of Shopify's strongest points. Adding products, changing prices, creating discount codes and updating pages is all done through the admin, no technical knowledge required. At handover we walk through the admin together so you never have to guess.
Yes. Through Shopify Payments we configure iDEAL for the Netherlands, Bancontact for Belgium, plus credit cards and the common wallets. Buy-now-pay-later options can be added where they fit your margin and audience. Everything is tested before the store goes live.
Yes. Most of our collaboration runs remotely with fixed points of contact and a staging environment where you follow progress. We work for stores across the Netherlands and Belgium, and the same process works fine across borders.
An intake call is usually scheduled within days, and the build typically starts two to four weeks after you approve the proposal. Send your question through the form below; we reply within one working day.
Related pages
Making plans for your store?
Get in touch and tell us briefly what you sell and where you want to go, with or without an existing store. We dig into your plans and come back with insights and a concrete plan for platform, setup and next steps. We reply within one working day.